California elections, 1958

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Category: California elections

1958 California Big Switch

The Contenders

Gubernatorial Race:

Senator William F. Knowland, Republican

State Attorney General Edmund "Pat" Brown, Democrat

Senatorial Race:

Governor Goodwin Jess Knight, Republican

Rep. Clair Engle, Democrat

The Significance

Bill Knowland, the powerful Senate Minority Leader, had grand presidential ambitions, and he felt that they would better served if he ran for President as a Governor rather than as a Senator. In 1958, he refused to run for re-election to his seat and instead came home to seek the governorship. The problem was that California already had a Republican governor, Goodwin Knight, who fully intended to run for re-election. In a brutal primary, Knowland beat out Knight, but then the two men made a deal: they would essentially swap seats, with Knight running for the Senate and Knowland for the Governorship.

California voters did not approve of the shady back-room deal; the two men did fine in their original offices. In November, Knight lost to Democrat Clair Engle. Meanwhile, in the Governor's race, Pat Brown, the state Attorney General upset Senator Knowland, defeating him by 20 points and effectively ending his high-flying political career.

Lessons learned: Voters want closure, and they do not approve of large-scale political maneuvering to suit somebody's personal ambitions.